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For over 20-years, Technical Absorbents Ltd has been the (SAF™). SAF™ can rapidly absorb 200 times its own weight in water and up to 60 times its own weight in saline extremely quickly and is used globally in a wide range of applications. Although SAF™ remains at the heart of the business, it is the wide range of SAF™ fabrics that are now capturing the imagination of product designers. This includes a growing portfolio of washable superabsorbent fabrics.
SAF™ washable fabrics provide the same high levels of absorbency as disposable SAF™ fabrics, but can be washed and re-used when protected by outer layers within final product construction. Such fabrics are ideal for a wide range of moisture management applications. They can also be integrated into garments and accessories that provide an evaporative cooling function and have recently undergone independent testing to demonstrate a measurable cooling effect*.
Cooling Power
The cooling power of the washable SAF™ fabrics was recorded between 9-11W, based upon the fabric in its saturated state
Cooling Time
The cooling time for the washable SAF™ fabrics was calculated at between 7-9hours, based upon the weight loss of the fabrics after 3 hours drying
To withstand laundering, the SAF™ fabric must be positioned between two outer layers, thus creating a three-layer fabric. The outer fabrics can be tailored as required to suit product design and functional requirement, e.g. one layer can be waterproof and the other water permeable. Once in a final fabric construction, studies have indicated minimal absorbency loss of 20% after 40 wash cycles. If constructed correctly, end garments/products made using a SAF™ washable fabric can be tumble dried.
The fabrics range from 190-450gsm, 1.5-6mm in thickness and are typically a blend of SAF™ and other synthetic fibres. Anti-microbial, flame-retardant and anti-odour finishes can also be added during the manufacturing process.
*The core fabrics have been tested at the Hohenstein Institute for Textile Innovation. To withstand laundering, the core must be positioned between two outer layers, thus creating a three-layer fabric. This may have some impact on the above figures, but this will vary depending on the outers and final product design.
